1. Field of the Invention
Methods and apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to providing an application to a digital content reproduction device by using an application information table (AIT) received from a data broadcasting stream.
2. Description of the Related Art
As digital broadcasting has developed, data broadcasting for transmitting additional information related to video data, and applications enabling interaction with viewers, has been introduced. The data broadcasting can provide various types of information related to broadcasting programs, daily living, an Internet access service, an electronic commerce service, a bidirectional entertainment service, etc. by using terrestrial, satellite, or cable broadcasting networks. Currently, international data broadcasting standards include the OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP), the Advanced Common Application Platform (ACAP), and the Multimedia Home Platform (MHP).
Due to the development of broadcasting standards such as the OCAP, various types of receivers for various standards are available, various applications for the various receivers are continuously produced, and these applications are transmitted through data broadcasting streams. An addressable application information table (AIT) technology has been introduced in order to provide an appropriate application for each receiver.
FIG. 1 is a diagram for describing a conventional addressable AIT technology.
Referring to FIG. 1, the addressable AIT technology is a mechanism in which pieces of information 111 through 116 about applications 1 through 6 are included in AIT information 110 in consideration of different receivers, the AIT information 110 is sent to a receiver 120, and the receiver 120 selects and drives an application that is appropriate for the receiver 120.
Thus, although the receiver 120 corresponds to the information 111 about the application 1 as in FIG. 1, the AIT information 110 including not only the information 111 about the application 1 but also the other pieces of information 112 through 116 about the applications 2 through 6, are provided to the receiver 120.
As such, a receiver 120 appropriate for the application 1 also has to receive and store the entire AIT information 110 in memory and then to search the desired information about application 1 from among the pieces of information 111 through 116 in a loop function.